Characters
This character's only friend at the beginning of the story is his grandmother, Lola.
Virgil Salinas
What is the nickname Virgil's parents call him?
What's the name of the stray dog in the woods that Valencia takes care of?
Sacred
Virgil feels invisible at school"like a ghost wandering the halls.” This is an example of this figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification).
Simile
What does "swipe" mean?
Ex: "I swiped the money from my mom's purse"
steal or grab
This character is often misunderstood because of her disability, so she prefers to be alone.
Valencia Sommerset
What is the name of Virgil's guinea pig? What is the connection between Virgil's guinea pig and Valencia's guinea pig?
Gulliver; both characters' guinea pigs are named after characters from the same book (Gulliver's travels)
What single word does Virgil text Valencia at the end of the story?
"The forest around them seems alive, as if the trees and shadows are watching" is an example of this figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification)
Personification
What is a "hurdle?"
An obstacle to jump over
This character imagines catching a snake and showing it off to Davies.
Chet Bullens
Why didn’t Valencia rescue Virgil when she found the well uncovered?
She didn't know he was down there (she couldn't hear his shouts for help), so she closed the lid.
How do Kaori and Gen treat Valencia differently from how she is used to being treated?
They treat her normally and make no effort to speak slowly to her like other people do.
Virgil feeling that the bull will "kill him" is an example of this figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification)
Hyperbole
What does it mean to "hyperventilate?"
to breathe hard and fast, often due to strong emotion
This character is very spiritual and believes in fate.
Kaori Tanaka
What scary character from Lola's stories does Virgil keep imagining while he's in the well?
Pah, the man-eating bird
Valencia prays to this saint throughout the story.
Saint Rene
“The darkness had teeth that snapped and clenched” is an example of this figurative language (simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification)
Personification
What is an "engima?"
A puzzle or mystery
This character's pink jump rope ends up saving Virgil from the well.
Gen
What fake name does Valencia go by when she first meets Kaori?
Renee
What finally motivates Virgil to cry for help one last time?
He imagines Ruba San Salvador/Lola's voice, encouraging him to keep trying
"I got eaten, like the Stone Boy. But my friends chiseled me out" is an example of TWO different types of figurative language. Which ones? (Simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification).
Simile and metaphor
What is a "remnant?"
A small remaining piece of something